Fort Tilden Part Four: The Return to Civilization

As I walked back to my starting point, all I could hear was gravel crunching under my feet. It was completely quiet.  I stopped to reload film one more time so I was ready to shoot the 2 buildings passed on the way to the tower.

The first was hidden in vines and brush.  Somehow the graffiti artists were able to get deep inside this broken down structure.  I wonder how long ago….
(These buildings were used for magazines when originally constructed.)

The second was a little more accessible,  just needed to navigate overgrowth, rocks and branches.

When I poked my head into the empty space I was transformed by what I saw.

Overhead the roof was all but gone.  Underfoot the floor was dirt and weeds.  And the block walls were covered with graffiti.  It was beautiful.  Man and nature were collaborating in a true work of art.

Until next time.

Teresa, 51art

adventure is life, live it! ®

 

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Fort Tilden Part Three: Views from the Tower

When I encounter something never seen before, I become a little unsettled.  I think that is true for most people.  Questions that came to mind quickly were: what the heck was this thing and what hid behind its walls?  (see prior post.)  Further research shows this is actually Battery Harris, a gun battery used during the war/s.

 

As I approached the stairs, a man was climbing down from the tower, so I stepped aside to let him pass.  I wanted this space all to myself.

WOW.  Incredible.  To the East was Long Island.  To the South the Atlantic.  To the West New York Harbor and New Jersey.  To the North Coney Island and Manhattan.  And directly below, 173 feet below, dunes and natural vegetation.

I stayed up here for about 30 minutes.  A cruise ship was leaving the harbor.  Tankers were waiting at anchorage.  Pleasure boats were cruising in and out of Jamaica Bay.  And I had this place all to myself.

At some point a father and son started the journey up the steps and I used this as my cue to head out.  Plus I needed to get those other shots before the sun finally set.  And my bravery was starting to waver just a bit…

THIS IS NEW YORK CITY.  crazy!

Until next time.

Teresa, 51art

adventure is life, live it! ®

 

A Fall Art Show in The Rockaways

As mentioned in an earlier posting, I spent a good part of the summer exploring The Rockaways.

While roaming through Fort Tilden, I discovered the Rockaway Artists Alliance.

This organization has 2 beautiful studios here, where they hold a variety of events throughout the year.

I was asked to participate in their exhibit “ArtSplash” with 4 of my fine art prints.  The show runs through October 13, 2013.

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Until next time.

Teresa, 51art

adventure is life, live it! ®

Space Shuttle Enterprise and Kodi George

As I woke up this morning and began the typical routine, I heard something in the news that took me from a casual approach to the day to the “photographer” mindset that kicks in anytime there is something worth noting.

Brian Lehrer, of WNYC was talking about a historic event going on right at that moment.  The Space Shuttle Enterprise would “fly over” NYC as it makes it’s way to JFK Airport.   [Early summer it will be transported to its final home at the The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.]  It would fly over the Statue of Liberty, up the Hudson River to the Tappan Zee Bridge and then circle around Queens.

Do I run across town?  Do I dash out of the house without walking Kodi?

I let a few minutes pass for logic and reality to set in.  If I were to get anything of value, there should have been a bit more planning on my part.  So I got myself and puppy dog dressed for our walk.  I took my trusty iPhone with me to document this historic flight, hoping I would be able to catch a glimpse from the East River.

As a few of us gathered at the corner of the East 78th Street Footbridge, we discovered the flight pattern and that from our vantage point the Shuttle would be crossing by the Triborough Bridge.  As we waited, Kodi also made a few new friends.  It was a joyful morning!

The Shuttle flew over at approximately 11:10am.  It was a beautiful site.  The sky was bright blue with just the right amount of clouds.  The Shuttle shimmered in the sunlight.  What I saw with my eyes was amazing.

I’ve attached a few links to close ups.  As you can see, I was a bit too far to get the details of the flight.  But I share with you what I saw, to give you a sense of the spectacle of these few historic moments.

Until next time.

Teresa, 51art

adventure is life, live it! ®

Balloons, Music, CELEBRATE!

On Thanksgiving Day in New York City, a one of a kind celebration marches down Central Park West to Herald Square.  This Thanksgiving will mark my third year as a balloon handler…a new tradition has begun for my family.  But how long has this event been going on?  What was it like in the beginning?  Read on….

Balloons, Music, CELEBRATE!*

In 1924 the first holiday parade was organized by Macy’s Employees.  Animals were featured from the Central Park Zoo.  The crowds loved it and a tradition was born!

In 1927 the first helium-filled balloons were included in the parade.  They were released as part of the grand finale, but unexpectedly burst over the city.

The following year the balloons were redesigned.  A return address was included on each balloon in case it floated away and a reward was given to those that returned it to the store.

Rain or shine, the Thanksgiving Day Parade marches from 77th Street and Central Park West to Herald Square.

*information found at www.macys.com

 

Until next time.

Teresa, 51art

adventure is life, live it! ®

51st and Broadway

As a NYC photographer finding unique moments, unique opportunities to document black and white landscapes of the city is an ongoing challenge.  Over the next 25 entries, I will share with you images partnered with interesting pieces of new york city history.  Let the stories unfold…..

Dreams can come true!

Al Jolson lived “The American Dream.”  Born in Lithuania, Jolson rose through the ranks of vaudeville as a comedian and a blackface “Mammy” singer.  By 1920, he had become the biggest star on Broadway.

Jolson was born Asa Yoelson in Seredzius, Lithuania, sometime between 1883 and 1886 and was the first openly Jewish man to become an entertainment star in America.

Al Jolson was to jazz, blues, and ragtime what Elvis Presley was to rock ‘n’ roll.  He paved the way for African-American performers like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, and Ethel Waters.

*information found at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/broadway/stars/jolson_a

Until next time.

Teresa, 51art

adventure is life, live it! ®

The Elephants Come to Town

As a photographer, I look for new ways to document New York City life.  To discover moments that may be overlooked as we hurry along with our days; to share the unexpected.  Tonight was one of those occasions.

A year ago in March there was a news story that intrigued me.  Every year, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey marches their elephants through the city streets when the circus comes to town.  Since elephants don’t usually wander around Manhattan, I knew this was a spectacle that needed to be photographed.  Planning a year out, I put this on my calendar to get the details.  In February I contacted customer service. They told me “The elephant walk is scheduled for Monday, March 22 @ 11:59 PM”.

I tried to gather information from past events, but very little existed.  The Mommy Poppins Blog had a possible explanation/origin of this walk:  “the circus elephants can’t go up the Penn Station escalators, they need to get off the circus train a stop early in Queens and walk through the Mid-Town Tunnel, and straight across Manhattan to Madison Square Garden”.

So based on this information (or lack thereof) I envisioned a slow moving, large animal procession that would last at least 30 minutes.  I prepared my two camera’s and waited on 34th Street near the tunnel exit.

It was a rainy night, so from time to time a downpour would break up the waiting/anticipation.  There were a few people in the crowd that had contacts on the Queens side and were giving status reports of the elephant progression through the tunnel.

About 1:00am the Elephants Came to Town!  There were 6 baby elephants with their handlers that moved like horses trotting down the lane.  It took me a moment to realize that what I expected to happen and what actually happened were two very different things.   The shot I was dreaming about, planning for days was not going to happen!

The elephants were followed by a group of small circus ponies and then some bicycle riding clowns.  POOF! it was over.  In less than 5 minutes the circus passed me by…

Aside from the long wait in the rain, it was a great experience.  Next year I will know better, and be ready for those quick moving pachyderms.

Until next time!

Teresa, 51art

adventure is life, live it! ®

March 17, 2011:  Due to construction at MSG, the circus will not be in NYC this year.

New York City Life Along the East River

As with most of us, the details of our surroundings are taken for granted until we are ready to see them.  As a NYC photographer, I am fortunate to live on the East River.  Each day I try to appreciate the wonder before me.  My view across to Roosevelt Island is not as exciting as the view back (where the residents see the NYC skyline), but I actually love watching the activity on and off the water.  There is a little stone house across the way and seems lost among the new buildings.  I wonder what its story is, how does it fit into the fabric of New York City history.  And more than once after a summer shower,  I have seen a rainbow end at this cottage.  Could there be a pot of gold?  Could the Wizard live there?  These pictures of landscape are magical!

As you discovered in the “East River Mystery” , the river is salt water.  Depending on which direction the wind blows it actually smells like the beach.  And just like the ocean, the water can be active or calm depending on the storms and the tides.

On a daily basis there are many pleasure crafts, barges, tugboats and working vessels that sail down to New York Harbor and back.   On this particular day, I noticed the water was very choppy and the wind was remarkably strong.  The sun was brilliant and reflected off the river back to me like shimmering diamonds.  I wanted to share these images with you so that you too could see what a beautiful, summer day was like on the river here on the East Side of Manhattan-a bit of New York City life.

When I came home that night the movement of the river was completely different from the afternoon.  The winds were gone and the surface of the water was still.  I wanted to capture the light reflection just as I did during the day.  The night seems to be a bit more intriguing.   I hope you feel the same.

Until next time!

Teresa, 51art

adventure is life, live it! ®